My acne story: Paula's Choice Clear Acne Kit is my savior!

I never had dire troubles with my skin, except for it being oily and some blemishes, which rarely happened. But over the last couple months, due to my 'amazing' lifestyle (lack of sleep, unhealthy eating habits, stress and anxiety, name them all), my skin decided to be rebellious and started creating troubles. I had the worst breakouts in my entire life and nothing I did seem to work out to my advantage. 

It started on my chin. I know my chin is the most acne-prone area on my face, but even though I had had blemishes there in the past, usually they faded pretty quickly without me having to give them special treatments beside some acne gel (clean & clear speed clearing gel used to be my holy grail). Not this time. My zits were as big as a nickel and they were red, raging, and didn't calm down even after a week. New zits seemed to appear everyday, not only on my chin but my T-zone as well (nose and forehead, to be exact), though they weren't as bad as the ones on my chin. I started to panic as this never happened before. I applied more and more acne gel, switched my facial wash to 'Acnes', and tried hard to keep my hands off my face. I even bought natural face mask which claims to reduce redness and relieve acne. None of them worked. My skin kept breaking out and I felt like a nightmare. That's when I came across Paula's Choice. 

I've heard about Paula's Choice before, but I never really paid much attention to it because I never needed it before. I was fine with my usual daily skincare routine, and Paula's Choice was on the more pricier side, I couldn't afford it. However, during my battle with the stubborn acne, I felt the need to splurge on some serious skin treatments and Paula's Choice was the best option. I had done my fair share of reviews, and browsing around the world wide web looking for the best price possible. When I finally found one, I decided to give it a try. The choice fell on Paula's Choice Clear Acne Kit in regular strength.

I was battling between purchasing the regular vs. the extra strength one, but eventually decided my skin condition wasn't that horrible that I needed the extra strength version. I was also worried that it would be too harsh on my skin. Also, rather than buying the full-size one, I decided it was more economical to buy the two-week trial kit and see if it worked. 

The kit comes with 3 mini bottles: cleanser, exfoliant, and blemish treatment. All claim to be non-irritant, and 100% safe for skin without any useless harsh chemicals. Well, I first used it on September 9, and trust me when I say, it really lives up to its claims! 

The first time I used them (cleanse first, exfoliate next, and blemish treatment last), I noticed my raging blemishes on my chin somehow calmed down, the redness was reduced, and some small acne spots faded instantly. I was extremely surprised to see such a quick result but so overjoyed nonetheless. I've continued using it ever since, and I'm happy to report that my skin has gotten so much better in only 4 freaking days. No more breakouts, no more raging acne, and my pores have even shrunk. Well, the acne hasn't disappeared completely, as you can see on my pictures, but at least it has calmed down, it's not red, it almost dries, and it's now just a small bump compared to what it was a few weeks ago. 

My skin is still healing. Sorry if I look dreadful here.

This is how my chin looks like now, 4 days after the treatment. You can still see some bumps and blemishes, but it's so much clearer than it used to be. I forgot to take pics of my face when it broke out badly, sowryy >.<

Are there any downsides? Yes, at least there are some for me. First of all, the exfoliant and treatment dry out my skin, especially in places where my acne is concentrated (read: chin). But I can still handle dryness better than acne, so I'm fine with it. It's expensive, thus I still have to think twice whether I'll grab the full-size kit after I run out of the trial kit. But other than that, it's perfect. Thank you, Paula's Choice. You're a miracle and I love you for that. :)

PS: Aside from using the clear series, I've also started to eat more cleanly. I reduce the oil intake to my body, and try not to snack as often. I'm eating more fruits and taking vitamins as well. As far as my sleeping habit, I'm afraid I can't really change it now, but I'm trying my best. I hope I can stop using the acne treatment products completely and come back to my healthy, glowy, smooth skin again soon. Wish me well!